A significant seminar held today in UL Access Campus, as part of this week’s Limerick Lifelong Learning Festival, looked at the power of literacies to change lives. The event was interactive, with key speakers, a networking café and a panel discussion. The presentations and group discussions explored different types of literacy, including financial, health, climate and digital. There were over 60 attendees from a wide variety of sectors, all involved in supporting lifelong learning.
Opening the event, Eimear Brophy, Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board, and Chair of Learning Limerick Steering Group, highlighted the relevance of this year’s festival theme of literacies for life and the importance of Limerick’s role as an UNESCO Learning City: “The theme is very timely and celebrates all the literacies that we need to embrace throughout our lives. We also reflect on the work of Learning Limerick over the last year; the importance of connection in promoting lifelong learning; including this welcome collaboration with the national Adult Literacy for Life office. We are very proud of our membership of UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities (GNLC) and the Irish Network of Learning Cities (INLC) and value the sharing of best practice ideas and supporting other cities as we all continue our good work.”
The keynote address at the seminar was from Yvonne McKenna, Director, Adult Literacy for Life (ALL) Strategy National Programme Office, SOLAS, whose role it is to deliver on the Adult Literacy, Numeracy and Digital Literacy 10-Year Strategy for Ireland: “The strategy aims to make sure that anyone with an unmet literacy need is able to access the supports they need. Significantly, Adult Literacy for Life also aims to make Irish society more accessible to people with an unmet literacy, numeracy or digital literacy need. It is really important that organisations – public, private and community and voluntary – deliver services in a literacy friendly and literacy aware way.”
The event also heard from Literacy Ambassador Pam Noonan and her inspiring story of sitting her Junior Cert at the age of 71, with the support of Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board’s College of FET Core Skills programme. The panel discussion focused on identifying one clear action that individuals or organisations can take to promote literacy in their communities. Attendees left further motivated to continue their efforts in promoting lifelong learning and literacy awareness.
